moon_guardfandomcom-20200213-history
Aelindel Beltis
Dame Aelindel looked up at the imposing structure of Stormwind. From the docks, it looked like an unassailable fortress. The sight of the gleaming white stones of the Alliance Capital warmed her heart and made her smile. She felt some trepidation as she walked slowly through the cobblestone streets of the trade district, delighting in the crowd and bustle that can be found there at any time of day. She took a turn towards the canal and found the bridge that crossed to Cathedral Square, a favourite gathering place in the early evening hours. She paused to watch the people in the square. All the races of the Alliance were represented, chatting, bartering, arguing and coming together as a community. With a sigh, the paladin made her way to the Cathedral steps and began a slow climb towards the entrance of the Church. At the door, she stopped to remove her helm and her gauntlets before entering the Holy place. She did not know what she would find when she entered the church or if she would even have a place within its walls. Hesitantly, she walked into the Cathedral. The worshippers were busy with their prayers. Clergymen were tending to the faithful and offering blessings. The aroma of incense and burning candles permeated the air. The woman felt joy at the familiar sights. Yes, indeed, if there was a home somewhere for her, this was it. Light be praised. =Appearance= ---- Aelindel carries herself with the ramrod stiffness of soldiers accustomed to stand at attention. Although still young, her face shows the fine lines of a life mostly spent on battlefields. Her large gray eyes and wild mane of brown curls that she keeps up in a messy bun, soften an otherwise solemn demeanor. Of average height, she appears lean and strong and the rough calluses on her hands betray a long habit of wielding large weapons. She is usually wearing a set of heavy plate armor that has seen better days but is meticulously maintained. She always wears an old libram attached to a thick truesilver chain anchored on her belt. =Brief History= ---- Aelindel Beltis, née Varel, was born some thirty years ago in the small town of Brill in Lordaeron and was the only daughter of a modest army officer. Her beginnings were humble but joyful. She was raised on her father’s family pumpkin farm by tutors mostly. Her father secured an education for her in the hope that she might someday join the priesthood. He believed that a good education would allow her to land on her feet, should anything happen to him. He was right on that account. He survived the invasion of Lordaeron by the Scourge only to die in the frozen wastes of Northrend. Aelindel realized quite early that the priesthood would not be her path. Her faith allowed her to channel the Light but not as a proficient healer. However, she could swing a mace and felt the Light could enhance her combat skills significantly. She began training as a paladin and had her first real taste of battle when Lordaeron fell to the Scourge. She fought alongside her countrymen in a desperate cause. At last, when the battle became hopeless, she fled through devastated lands with countless others to find refuge beyond the borders of her homeland. Several years went by before she found herself wandering in Elwynn Forest, homeless and without purpose. She heard chants coming from the abbey nestled in the Northshire woods. She stepped inside quietly and let the words soothe her. There she found some respite from the pain of the losses she suffered and the regrets that filled her heart. As a child, she was fascinated by the Light. She was mesmerized by the solemnity of its rituals. She spent many hours hidden in dark corners of chapels, listening to sermons and liturgies. Later, she saw the Light as a weapon, a force to vanquish her foes. She felt resentful of it. She projected her own failures onto it and shrouded it in rage. It took her a long time, and many trials of faith to understand that a closed heart cannot see the beauty of the Light, or feel the humility needed to wield a weapon in its name. Aelindel learned this truth in the Church that sheltered her and helped her find her way again. =Personality= ---- (WiP) Beliefs When she rejoined the Church of the Holy Light, Aelindel resumed her paladin training, squiring for Sir Kuth Anner. Her training was paved with many trials of faith and strength that allowed her to deepen her understanding of the Virtues and her belief in the Light. The journey that took Aelindel to knighthood was one of forgiveness. She learned to forgive those who wronged her but mostly to forgive herself for her own weaknesses and sins. She had to let go of much anger to see her path clearly. She now strives to live by the code of the Silver Hand and the Three Virtues in a spirit of clemency. Family and Relationships Perpetual mourning Aelindel impulsively married a young local farmer. She eloped with him against her father’s will. This caused much friction between father and daughter but she fancied herself in love and followed her heart. Aelindel’s husband died in Lordaeron during the invasion of the Scourge. They were helping to evacuate a small farmstead and he stayed behind to round up children who had found refuge in a barn. He was attacked and mortally wounded but the children escaped. He succumbed to his wounds later in Aelindel’s arms. She feels responsible for his death and has idealized his memory as a consequence of her pain. Family ties Aelindel believed herself to be the sole survivor of her family until she was contacted by a young priestess claiming to be her cousin. Sister Maverith, as it happened, was the daughter of her father’s younger sister. The woman had left Lordaeron after marrying a merchant from Kul Tiras and had seldom been in communication with her family back home. Maverith’s hopeful nature charmed the usually somber paladin. She feels protective of the priestess and treats her with the indulgence of an older sister, often dismissing her opinions as naive youthful fancies born of a sheltered existence. Category:Human Category:Church of the Holy Light Category:Clergy of the Holy Light Category:Paladins Category:Chapelry of Westfall Category:Lordaeronian